Chapter Seven; The Lake At Midnight
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Gwen let a small sigh escape her lips as she tried to sleep that very same night. Her and Duncan had, had one rather awkward conversation in which they basically (and mutually) denied having a crush on the other. Which was the truth! Wasn't it? Yes, it had to be. Her hands trailed across her pillow in some vague effort to replace her cat Joan; there was no replacement for the snuggles of a cat at night, especially when a girl's heart felt like it was going to fall right out of her chest.
The little Goth girl was trapped; trapped between a stable and caring (if not boring) relationship with Trent, where he treated her like a lady and he acted like a gentleman, or a rogue bastard named Duncan who acted more horrid than nice. This almost made no sense to her; Duncan was smug, annoying, reckless, secretly kind and totally hot.
Gwen rolled over angrily, the heels of her palms now forced against her forehead. She couldn't sleep. It was a mixture of her mind playing the conversation over and over in her head and the sensation of her stomach rolling around inside her; a strange yet accurate image. So, in her oversized black shirt and a pair of tracksuit pants she picked up off the floor, she wandered down to the lake and sat with her legs thrown over the edge of the dock. Her mind fell back to that afternoon, and what Duncan had said.
'Gwen, you know you that's a lie. You gotta be joking me right? Where's the cameras? Or… you're… not kidding…' he hadn't bothered to finish his thought, and simply threw the pages onto her bed. Something seemed to flicker in his eyes before he openly swore. He caught his mistake and averted his eyes to the floor; don't wear your heart on your sleeve, so to speak. He didn't say much else for a short while, probably because he lacked the personality trait that allowed him to remain sincere for more than a few seconds. The conversation hadn't lasted much longer, the two conceding they had been joking about the whole thing; Gwen could tell that was a lie. They would forget the whole thing, they agreed; again, a lie.
Why did Duncan almost seem synonymous with lie at the moment?
Gwen stared out over the dank lake, her feet almost touching the entirely nasty surface – maybe she was too hopeful in expecting something to manifest from her very useless flirtations with Duncan. Maybe she wasn't a match for Courtney, though that idea was a little upsetting. She wouldn't have said that Courtney was her equal were it not for Duncan right now; well, Duncan, and his assertion that Courtney and him really weren't all that broken up. Just on a temporary hiatus.
'I don't like him, not after that,' Gwen finally said aloud, sighing a little louder than she meant to. It was still close to midnight and most other campers were asleep anyway. All she had to do was make it a few more days then she could get to the new set of the show and focus on winning the million dollars; properly, this time.
Across the campsite there was a similar teen in a similar state; coincidentally, over a similar issue. Duncan was trying his best to forget how shattered Gwen looked behind her playful smile and laughter. 'Why would I like you?' she had started, 'Didn't I already say I thought you were nothing but a juvie reject?' she had easily smiled off, her arms crossed her under her chest. He had a slight difficult keeping his eye line in check with all the girls and their suddenly developed figures.
'Are you even listening to me?' Gwen questioned, her hair falling in her eyes rather strategically.
Crap, been caught out. Quick Duncan, act fast. 'Why don't we just forget it?' So not what I meant, Duncan. God, you're an idiot.
'Forget what?' Gwen softly chuckled as they walked off toward the cafeteria for lunch. Trent had come along, slipped his arms carefully around her waist and nuzzled his face into her shoulder. She seemed content with this, a sentiment that made Duncan roll his eyes and mock barfing. It wasn't before long the day faded to night once more. Chris had promised some surprise for the following day, but Duncan didn't care. He really, truly didn't care what the sleazy TV host had to say anymore; he was in it for the money and only the money. His glance crossed over to Gwen for a moment before he refocused on the bunk above his own. 'Only for the money,' he growled under his breath, swinging his legs out over the edge of the bed.
There was too much going on in his mind, and way too much going on with Gwen. This thought wouldn't let him go, something he resentfully noticed after her face seemed burned to his eyelids. She was pale, negative, aggressive, assertive, sarcastic and a total babe; in a different creed and class to all the other girls.
'Walk,' he assured himself, pulling on a pair of sneakers and tugging on a hoodie or sorts. He was out the door without another word, his intention rather clear to himself. He'd just run till he felt tired; sleep wherever he landed, and then drag himself to the meeting the next morning after a nice shower and a tasty breakfast. He spent the duration of the run mulling over his entirely too complex relationship with both Gwen and Courtney; both he found physically attractive, but Courtney didn't really share anything in common with him; except for competiveness, and a love of making out.
Gwen, however, shared a host of black humour, wicked taste in films and a pragmatic view of the world. She was ideal; man, he had screwed up. When presented with an opportunity, he just assured her she was nothing to him and started blabbering about how much he liked Courtney still. As he jogged, he passed a lone, familiar figure; his footsteps slowed as an eyebrow darted up. 'Gwen?' he said under his breath, wandering over. 'Waiting to become a werewolf then?' he asked, glancing up at the sky; the moon was nearly full.
'If you knew me at all, you'd know I'm a vampire at heart.'
'Pun… nice,' Duncan sarcastically countered, his arms crossed. It was colder here than anywhere else on the island, so why was the girl so drawn to it? He debated whether to sit down or not, his hand scratching idly across his neck. 'Look, no cameras, no other campers, no one to censor ourselves for.'
'I'm not that kind of girl,' Gwen sarcastically drawled, standing up and staring at Duncan.
'Not what I meant,' he said with a deft smile, 'I know you were kidding earlier; you like me. I know it. So just admit it.'
'Is that why you're up? So you can keep trying to make me admit some stupid secret which doesn't even exist? I thought we said we'd forget all about it?' she instantly replied, her voice and words not matching the song and dance her mind was performing. 'Why would it matter either way if I liked you?' she added with a pointed stare up at Duncan, a careful tilt to her head becoming evident.
'It wouldn't. Uh. But you should still tell me.'
'If it wouldn't matter, I'm not telling. Let it go Duncan, I have,' she lied. Gwen stood up, shivering very noticeably against the cold. She hadn't bothered with a jacket after all.
'Why are you acting so weird? Can't we go back to eating chocolate and crap like that?' he asked with his fists by his sides, 'You were one of the first cool chicks I met that wasn't all catty and horrible to everyone for no reason; so why are you starting now?'
Gwen shrugged a little, taking a few steps towards camp before Duncan caught her elbow.
'I'm sorry?' he mumbled, unsure why he was apologising. The gesture felt right, so he ran with it, 'I can tell you're mad at me, and, since there's no one around, and no one to get all angry,' he paused before pulling Gwen into a one-armed hug.
'What's this for?' she asked blankly, staring up at him with her arms still crossed over her chest.
'Because you're a cool babe, I guess. Don't question a good thing,' he said with a dull grin and a raised eyebrow.
'A good thing is a new slasher flick,' she pointed out.
'Look, I'd love to chat for the night, but I'm doing some running and I'd hate to keep you up all night – y'know, with something that wasn't a little more…'
'Duncan,' Gwen sighed, her hand against her forehead.
'Point is,' he unzipped the jacket, shoving it into her hands, 'it was getting to hot for me to wear it running, so can you just take it till tomorrow? Thanks doll,' he purred with a smirk, running a hand across her upper arm. The gesture was quickly drawn back by Duncan as gave Gwen another one-armed hug, though this time she turned. And, rather than a one-armed hug, it ended up being just – a hug. 'Sweetheart?' he grinned down, patting her on the head.
'No cameras after all, they tend to ruin the fun… I have a feeling we'll end up being exploited for hanging out at night like this.'
'As if,' Duncan said with a chuckle, 'who would be interested in us anyway? We're the rejects; the off-cast; the loners.' With that, Duncan pulled out of the hug and took a few steps in the direction he'd previously been running. 'You should go back to your cabin, it's not safe out.'
'I can take care of myself,' she pointed out as he ran off into the distance.
'Who said you were the one in danger?' And, with that, he was gone; fading into the distance like a giant green, peach and black blob. Gwen barely registered the event as real as she clutched the hoodie in her arms. She looked between the hoodie and her goose bump covered arms and sighed; maybe he had a point. She pulled it on, zipping it up with particular hesitation. The jumper instantly reminded her of Duncan, a point that was a little scary to think about. It also smelt like him, but in the non-creepiest way Gwen could possibly consider.
Gwen toddled on back to her cabin, warmly snuggled up in the hoodie and entirely distracted from the very thing that had sent her out of the cabin in the first place. Upon arriving back to her bunk, she slid into bed and fell asleep almost instantly. It seemed too stupidly girly to have her problems fixed with a simple gesture of a hoodie when she was cold; even if it wasn't the boy's intention.
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